Competency frameworks for FE governance available

The Education and Training Foundation (@e_t_foundation) has published competency frameworks for Chairs, governors and governance professionals in Further Education (FE).

The Competency Framework for Chairs of Further Education College Corporations and the Competency Framework for Governors of Further Education Colleges define a range of competencies – around the themes of leadership, values and behaviours, and specialist technical skills – required by members of a FE college board.

The frameworks have been developed in consultation with FE governance practitioners and other governance experts. They are underpinned by rigorous competency modelling methodology found in academic research^[i] and engagement with standards development experts in FE, the wider education sector and beyond.

They are designed to help generate an understanding of the requirements of good governance and to support the embedding of effective practice, to develop a common language around governance competencies, and to encourage increased reflection on individual and collective board performance and impact.

The Further Education Governance Professional Competency Framework is structured around three elements: values-based behaviours, skills and underpinning knowledge. These elements combine to define the standards of performance expected of governance professionals.

It was developed by ETF with extensive input and support from the sector and aims to help to address the Department for Education’s (DfE) identified need to strengthen FE governance as set out in the Skills for Jobs white paper.

The Framework aims to support the identification of the behaviours and skills that drive successful governance outcomes, and to generate a common language and basis for benchmarking that stakeholders can use across the sector when reflecting on effective practice. It is intended to supplement, but not replace, the range of other useful resources that support the effective practice of governance professionals.

All three Frameworks can be accessed from the governance pages of the ETF website, where details of ETF’s wider support for governance in the sector are also available. They will underpin the content of current and future CPD available through the ETF governance offer, ensuring that CPD training is based on the key competencies required to excel as a Chair, governor, and governance professional.

Dr Vikki Smith, ETF’s Executive Director of Education and Standards, said:

“These three competency frameworks, which are aimed at Chairs, governors and governance professionals, will help individuals assess themselves across a range of knowledge, skills and behaviours. In turn, this reflection will increase the effectiveness of governance across the sector, responding to the imperative identified in Skills for Jobs. We wish to place on record our thanks to the many stakeholders and colleagues across and beyond the sector with whom we have worked closely to develop them.”

{i] Notably:

• Boyatzis, 2011, Managerial and Leadership Competencies A Behavioral Approach to Emotional, Social and Cognitive Intelligence, Vision: The Journal of Business Perspective 15, pp. 91-100.
• Campion et al, 2011, Doing competencies well: Best Practices in Competency Modelling, Personnel Psychology 64, pp. 225-262.
• Stevens 2012, A Critical Review of the Science and Practice of Competency modelling, Human Resources Development Review, 21 pp. 86-107.
• Winterton et al, 2006, Typology of knowledge, skills and competences: clarification of the concept and prototype, Cedefop Reference series; 64.